SMBA Alumni Testimonials

Class of 2017

Liliane Lendvai

Operations Manager

Blair Search Partners

"The CSUSM SAMBA program equipped me with the tools, knowledge, and connections necessary
to thrive in my career. I was impressed by the caliber of professors, the rigor of
the curriculum, and the overall positive experience I had in the program. The classes
were fast-paced, yet comprehensive. The curriculum covered a range of topics and made
frequent use of case studies to illustrate the points. Also, as I specialized in International
Business, I was especially appreciative to conduct my required internship in Germany.

However, I believe that the most important part of a worthwhile experience in a MBA
program comes down to the connections one makes during their time throughout the program.
In order to succeed with any career, one needs to have a firm grip on the pulse of
the community, an understanding of who its key players are, and the ability to integrate
oneself into this extensive network of connections. CSUSM’s SAMBA program delivered
this in full with its range of guest speakers, events, internship opportunities, and
more. If you want to expand your network, develop a strong business acumen, and increase
your competitiveness in the workforce, then this program is for you."

Liliane Lendvai

Class of 2016

Luke Froning

Recruiter

Redbock

"The CSUSM Specialized Accelerated MBA program was one of the best decisions I could
have made for myself. CSUSM has great professors with real world experience and business
success. The cohort style system allowed me to make great connections with students
from many different cultural backgrounds, and it helped with my understanding of international
business practices. The accelerated coursework challenged me to meet short deadlines
in an efficient manner, and it mirrored the type of deadline that one would see in
the work environment. At the end of my program, I traveled to Germany for class and
an internship with a German IT company. The experience in Germany gave me a new perspective
on how other countries do business, and it allowed me to apply the knowledge I gathered
from my International Business specialty. I highly recommend the Specialized Accelerated
MBA program!"

Luke Froning

Solveig Halldorsdottir

Accountant

Ryni endurskodun ehf

"The SMBA program at CSUSM was a challenging, fast-paced program that prepares you
for the real world of business. The instructors in the program have close ties to
the business world and emphasized on teaching from experience. Having the option to
finish a MBA in one year was especially appealing to me as well as the cohort format
of the SMBA program. Through the cohort format the focus was both on teamwork as
well as individual contribution and the cohort grew close as a group that supported
each other. The program helped prepare me for my career by improving my time management
skills, public speaking and organizational skills."

Solveig Halldorsdottir

Michelle Svoboda

Marketing or Market Research

Integrated Practice Solutions

"The decision to pursue my MBA has advanced my professional career and provided me
with a valuable set of tools. I was able to gain a set of skills that I use daily
in the workplace. What has been an exceptionally useful is the learned ability to
collect and analyze data, using a variety of collection methods and programs for analysis,
to provide my company meaningful insights about the changing market. Those insights
directly impact our executive teams sales and marketing strategies. I have no doubt
that those who choose to earn their M.B.A. at CSUSM will be making an excellent decision
for their future."

-Michelle Svoboda

Aaron Ross

Owner

Grey Falcon Properties

"The SMBA program at CSUSM is incredible. I earned my MBA in 15 months of exhaustive
and exhausting work. During the program, of the many valuable lessons learned, the
single most valuable to me was targeted market analysis. With it I was able to formulate
a statistical test that challenged a key assumption in my property management business.
With the results of that test I was able to improve both mine and my client's cash
flow. Business is about the bottom line and the SMBA Program improved mine."

Aaron Ross

Class of 2015

Marvin B. MillarProduct ManagerU.S. Army

"CSUSM’s SMBA program is an excellent program. It is especially a great fit for
professionals who don’t want to or can’t be away from their field for an extended
period. As a military officer, time away from my career is lost time and being able
to complete the program in 15 months was invaluable. Those months were hard but productive
and helped prepare me for my next job as a Product Manager in the U.S. Army. The
cohort format closely mirror integrated product team functions/processes as you leverage
varied personal experience and expertise to basically come up with products multiple
times throughout the program.